[Gade]

UPDATE: Rapier 12.2.5 is available through the official Kodi repository!

This update is installed automatically.
If this is not the case, you can download it here.


This is a huge update.
A lot has happened, although most not visible.
All features of the add-ons Random and last items script (script.randomandlastitems) and Skin Helper Backgrounds (script.skin.helper.backgrounds) have been coded directly into the skin.
Those 2 add-ons can safely be uninstalled and are not needed anymore.


The highlights are:

• Support has been added for the add-on Multi Weather (weather.multi). Screenshots below.
  
• Support has been added for album boxsets. Screenshot below.
  
• Fanart backgrounds has been added for the home screen Add-ons category and windows. Screenshots below.
  Go to Skin Settings > Backgrounds > Custom Backgrounds > Add-ons.
  
• Info on next video during playback has been added to:
  - Now Playing widget (screenshot below)
  - Player Controls dialog (screenshot below)
  - fullcreen video window (if no chapter info is available)
  
• New info labels has been added to the music information window:
  - release date
  - original date
  - BPM
  
• New tags has been added to the PVR information window:
  - "Premiere"
  - "Finale"
  - "Live"
  
• All features of the add-on Skin Helper Backgrounds (script.skin.helper.backgrounds) has been coded directly into the skin.
  This add-on can be safely uninstalled.
  
• All features of the add-on Random And Last Items (script.randomandlastitems) has been coded directly into the skin.
  This add-on can be safely uninstalled.
  
• The skin setting for custom time for fanart backgrounds has been removed.
  All fanart backgrounds will display for 10 seconds before changing.
  
• Greatly improved info for movie sets.
  

Add support for Multi Weather add-on (weather.multi)
Weather window


Add support for Multi Weather add-on (weather.multi)
Home screen


Added fanart backgrounds for home screen Add-ons category and windows
Home screen


Added fanart backgrounds for home screen Add-ons category and windows
Skin Settings


Add support for music album boxsets
Added album boxsets to library options dialog


Added info on next video title in Now Playing widget
Cosmetic improvements for Now Playing widget


Added info on next video title in Player Controls dialog
Cosmetic improvements for Player Controls dialog


 

Code:

12.2.5 (10-May)
- Bugfixing.
- Add support for Multi Weather add-on (weather.multi).
- Updated translations from Transifex.
- Better handling of installed and enabled/disabled add-ons.
- Greatly improved info for movie sets.
- Add "Premiere" / "Finale" / "Live" tags to PVR information window.
- TV Show Today widget and Upcoming TV Shows widget now use script.embuary.info.
- Add support for music album boxsets.
- Added album compilations and boxsets to presets dialog.
- Added album boxsets to library options dialog.
- Bump xbmc.gui
- Removed dependency on script.skin.helper.widgets.
- Added dependency on script.embuary.helper.
- Favourites widget no longer requires script.skin.helper.widgets.
- In Progress Episodes widget and quick jump alphabet feature now use script.embuary.helper.
- Removed script.skin.helper.backgrounds and coded features directly into the skin.
- Removed skin setting for custom time for fanart backgrounds. Default for all images is now 10 seconds.
- Bugfixing for playlist background images for custom categories.
- Added fanart backgrounds for home screen Add-ons category and windows.
- Removed script.randomandlastitems and coded features directly into the skin.
- Fix for formatted short duration.
- Cosmetic improvements for Now Playing widget.
- Cosmetic improvements for Player Controls dialog.
- Added info on next video title in Now Playing widget.
- Added info on next video title in Player Controls dialog.
- Added info on next video title in fullscreen video if no chapter info is available.
- Better support for Next Aired TV Show add-on (script.tv.show.next.aired).
- Add skin clearlogo and banner images.
- Add new info labels to music information window: release date, original date, BPM.

ENJOY!

[Aaiemron]

Wow! Great work. Thanks a lot.

[RB26]

Thanks Gade, this skin is working great! Good speed improvement for me.

I've been using the Leia version for the last six months, and have only had one small issue.
Seems that over a 4-5 day period, the memory usage would slowly climb (memory leak?) from ~58% and go up to 70+
which would bring it to a crawl; A restart would fix it.

So I decided to give Matrix version a try.

So far I've ran into a few minor issues.

At first I could not get Embuary helper to stop throwing errors. I found that the problem was with Android PIL as posted by Sualfred.
I tried using the latest test build (arm64-v8a/kodi-20200518-8ff83143-fix-pil-android-arm64-v8a.apk) and this seems to be fixed.

The only other issue (so far) is with Kodi Backup. It would start and quickly stop.
In checking the logs, I found an error, which has already been posted at Github by another user.
Hopefully this will be fixed soon.

Thanks again, and if I find anything else, I'll let you know.

Cheers,
Ron

Nvidia Shield
Android Ver 8.0

[RB26]

Just an update.e to check the log

I tried to run the skin backup feature, and after 30 seconds or so,
I get a message saying the backup was successful.

When checking for the file, there's nothing created.

I then tried to run directly from the addon, right away, I get a message to check the log.

This is the message:
(WARNING <general>: Skin Helper Backup --> Exception details: Type: TypeError Value: 'iconImage' is an invalid keyword argument for this function Traceback: Traceback (most recent call last)

Let me know if you need a complete log.

Cheers,
Ron

[Gade]

Thanks Gade, this skin is working great! Good speed improvement for me.

Hi Ron.

Thanks a lot for the support and kind words.

I'm glad to hear that you experience a speed improvement, as I have spent tons of hours recoding and optimizing the skin for v19.

The only other issue (so far) is with Kodi Backup. It would start and quickly stop.
In checking the logs, I found an error, which has already been posted at Github by another user.
Hopefully this will be fixed soon.

That function requires script.skin.helper.backup, which has not officially been updated for Kodi 19.
I have a (somewhat) working version in my repo, but it seems there are some issues.

It seems the backup is created in the temp folder, but not copied to the destination. Then it's deleted.
So the copy function in the script is perhaps not working properly.

I have very little knowledge of python coding, so this is out of my hands.

Unfortunately, Marcel is not developing his addons anymore.

I then tried to run directly from the addon, right away, I get a message to check the log.

This is the message:
(WARNING <general>: Skin Helper Backup --> Exception details: Type: TypeError Value: 'iconImage' is an invalid keyword argument for this function Traceback: Traceback (most recent call last)

Yeah, I see exactly the same error.

[RB26]

Hi Gade,

There might be a little confusion regarding my posts about the backups.

In the first post I was referring to the addon by RobWeber which I use for a complete backup,
the other was the one in your repo, for the skin.
Sorry about that, the board software won't let me edit my posts.

If I copy the complete folder called "skin.rapier" will that give me another way to backup all my settings?
I spent a great deal of time setting Rapier up, and I'd just like to make sure if something gets messed up, I can quickly fix it..

On another note, After running this version for a few days,
I'm going to keep this and Matrix as a daily driver. The performance overall is so much better.

Thanks again for the hard work,
Ron

[Gade]

There might be a little confusion regarding my posts about the backups.

In the first post I was referring to the addon by RobWeber which I use for a complete backup,
the other was the one in your repo, for the skin.

Hi Ron.

Ah, I see.
I don't know the addon by RobWeber.

I'll see if I perhaps can fix script.skin.helper.skinbackup at some point.

If I copy the complete folder called "skin.rapier" will that give me another way to backup all my settings?
I spent a great deal of time setting Rapier up, and I'd just like to make sure if something gets messed up, I can quickly fix it..

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.
It's the same for me on my main pc and my mac.

Until the addon gets fixed (or I fix it myself), you can manually copy the skin.rapier addon data folder (not the skin folders).

You have all skin settings stored in the xml at:
...userdata\addon_data\skin.rapier\settings.xml

(The skin is located in ...addons\skin.rapier\)

On another note, After running this version for a few days,
I'm going to keep this and Matrix as a daily driver. The performance overall is so much better.

I'm so happy to hear this.

I'm also very pleased both with the performance of Kodi 19 and with Rapier, after all the code changes.

Let me know if you have any other thoughts or questions.

Cheers
Gade

[RB26]

Hi Gade,

I'm using the custom widget feature "in progress" for the Movies and TV Shows screen.

When pausing a Movie, it shows up on the widget correctly, and will resume from the last position watched.
however, the widget on the TV Shows screen is showing the next episode (after the one I just watched),
and does not show a paused TV Show.

Do I have something messed up, or is this the intended operation?

BTW, thanks for pointing me in the right direction for backing up the skin settings.

Cheers,
Ron

[Gade]

I'm using the custom widget feature "in progress" for the Movies and TV Shows screen.

When pausing a Movie, it shows up on the widget correctly, and will resume from the last position watched.
however, the widget on the TV Shows screen is showing the next episode (after the one I just watched),
and does not show a paused TV Show.

Do I have something messed up, or is this the intended operation?

Hi Ron.

It works perfectly for me.
When I stop an unwatched episode without playing it to the end, that exact episode shows as the first item in the In Progress widget (sometimes it takes some seconds to update). And it will resume from where I left it.
It will always display the first unwatched episode from a tv show.

Which exact version of Rapier do you use?

Can you explain in detail what you do?

BTW, thanks for pointing me in the right direction for backing up the skin settings.

Glad to help.

[RB26]

Hi Gade,

OK, after checking closer, I realized that the "in progress" is mixed with "next episode".
I didn't know they were combined. My bad.

I was able to find an "in progress" after scrolling down the list, so it is working.

I don't remember it being that way with the Leia version, but I may have had it set up different.

Thanks again!

Ron

[Furby8704]

i keep getting an embuary help error that doesnt go away. tried disabling it but says its needed by the skin and ive manually removed it but it keeps insisting on downloading it again.

[Gade]

Hi Gade,

OK, after checking closer, I realized that the "in progress" is mixed with "next episode".
I didn't know they were combined. My bad.

I was able to find an "in progress" after scrolling down the list, so it is working.

I don't remember it being that way with the Leia version, but I may have had it set up different.

Thanks again!

Ron

Hi Ron.

Is this a custom widget for a custom category?

Can you explain in details what you do?

The widgets should be the same in Leia and Matrix.

[Gade]

i keep getting an embuary help error that doesnt go away. tried disabling it but says its needed by the skin and ive manually removed it but it keeps insisting on downloading it again.

Hi Furby8704.

Are you against using this particular addon?

It's needed for many features in Rapier for Kodi 19.
This script has replaced script.skin.helper.service for many things.

[RB26]

Hi Gade,

I'm using the standard "in progress" and "recently added".

It's not easy for me to go back and look at Version 11.2.56 to see what I did there, as I don't have a test machine.

I don't have a problem with the way it works, I likely had it set up before to just show "in progress", and not show the "next episode".

Just want to mention that the skin is working great! I had it up for nearly 7 days with no issues, I could NOT achieve this
with Leia (best I could do is 4 days before re-starting), So either Matrix is better, the Skin is, or both.

Oh, and it looks like Furby8704 could be having the same issue I did (post 33 - Android PIL).
I have tested the latest Nightly, and it looks like the fix (android PIL) has been merged.

Cheers,
Ron

[Gade]

I'm using the standard "in progress" and "recently added".

It's not easy for me to go back and look at Version 11.2.56 to see what I did there, as I don't have a test machine.

I don't have a problem with the way it works, I likely had it set up before to just show "in progress", and not show the "next episode".

Hi Ron.

The content of the In Progress widget for Kodi 18 and 19 are the same. In Kodi 18 it's created by script.skin.helper.widgets, in Kodi 19 by script.embuary.helper

Just want to mention that the skin is working great! I had it up for nearly 7 days with no issues, I could NOT achieve this
with Leia (best I could do is 4 days before re-starting), So either Matrix is better, the Skin is, or both.

That's absolutely great news.
It's most likely a combination of both: recoding/bugfixing/optimizing of both Kodi Matrix and Rapier 12.

Oh, and it looks like Furby8704 could be having the same issue I did (post 33 - Android PIL).
I have tested the latest Nightly, and it looks like the fix (android PIL) has been merged.

So most likely Furby8704 should update to latest nightly to get it fixed?

Cheers
Gade